It feels like a whole era from the current state of Manchester United, but there’s a reason why the expectations don’t match the current reality.
Man Utd regularly used to brush with greatness under Sir Alex Ferguson, be it becoming the first English team to win the treble, or holding the record for the most Premier League titles.
It can even be argued that a few moments stopped him and United from becoming the undisputed greatest club to ever play football.
One such moment came in 2008 when a single game ruined Man Utd’s dream of becoming the first team to achieve a unique feat that has only been done by two teams in the seventeen years since.
Man Utd’s 2007-08 season and *that* game
Manchester United were fighting on all fronts on the back of Cristiano Ronaldo going nuclear, a season he would finish with a remarkable 42 goals in all competitions.
They had started the season by winning the Community Shield, a necessary psychological win over Chelsea.
That would give them the edge in the league title race, where they overcame a slow start to win their record tenth Premier League title.
Then nobody can forget the famed 2007/08 Champions League final when John Terry missed his decisive penalty and Chelsea had to settle for second in the third competition of the season (second in the league, defeated in Community Shield, defeated in UCL final).
What that Champions League triumph should have been was a crowning moment for a legendary team, the first team in football history to win two trebles.
| Team | 1st Treble | 2nd Treble |
| FC Barcelona | 2008/09 | 2014/15 |
| Bayern Munich | 2012/13 | 2019/20 |
However, that multiple-treble dream was finished on March 8, 2008, when a plucky Portsmouth came to Old Trafford in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Man Utd vs Portsmouth FA Cup quarter final 2008
Sir Alex Ferguson generally rotated his side for the cups, as evidenced by United’s third-round exit to Coventry City in the League Cup.
However, sensing history, he fielded a strong team on March 8, easily good enough to take care of Portsmouth at home.
What unfolded will go down in the annals of Man Utd history, as the team went through three goalkeepers in the span of 90 minutes en route to a 0-1 loss to end their treble dreams.
Edwin van der Saar started in goal, he had to come off for Tomasz Kuszczak, who would get sent off in the 76th minute, gifting Portsmouth a penalty, converted by Sulley Muntari.
United had dominated the game, created chance after chance, and wasted every single one. Their treble dream ended with Rio Ferdinand in goal and a squad that would rue their profligacy for a while.
They did shake it off to win the Champions League but that Portsmouth game continues to beggar belief of how United managed to come out of it at the losing end.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/AgmhI3j